A message to the "mega-rich," from one of their own

Warren Buffett says wealthy Americans ought to be paying a whole lot more in taxes. As one of the richest men in the world, he should know.

"My friends and I have been coddled long enough by a billionaire-friendly Congress," the billionaire investor wrote in the New York Times. "It's time for our government to get serious about shared sacrifice."

Buffett paid only 17 percent of his taxable income last year, less than anybody else in his office. For his lesser-paid coworkers, the average was 36 percent, he says.

To balance the budget, the so-called Oracle of Omaha called on members of Congress to immediately raise the tax rate for households with taxable incomes of more than $1 million, with an additional hike for those making $10 million more.